Vehicle-coupling.



NITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WASHINGTON I. WOLVERTON, OF AVERY, OI-IIO.

VEHICLE-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,190, dated April 3o, 1901. Appneetien filed August 16,1900. seein ne. 27,089. (No musei.)

To all 7,071,011?, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WASHINGTON I. WOL- vERToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Avery, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in couplings for vehicles, and more especially to that class o f such devices employed for connecting the doubletree and the tongue of a vehicle.

The present invention has for its objects, among others, to provide 'an improved coupling for this purpose which shall require but a single bolt for attachment to the doubletree and permitting oi' the use ofthe coupling with poles of greater or less bend. By prior constructions trouble has been experienced by reason of the fact that poles are formed with different bends, in which case the hammer-- strap was either too long or too short and one hammer-strap could not be made to serve with varying bends of poles. My present construction, however, allows of the employment of the one hammer-strap with varying forms of poles, the arrangement being such that the hammer-strap adjusts itself to various bends without altering its form or finish.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a doubletree provided with my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of the tongue with the coupling applied, the doubletree being also shown in section.d Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the end of the hammer-strap, looking at the under side.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in which they appear.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a doubletree, and B a pole or tongue which it is designed to couple together by my improvement now to be described. K

C is a hollow tapered post rising from the strap or plate D, which latter is provided at one end with a hole dior the passage of a bolt E, which serves to secure that end of the said strap or plate to the tongue, as seen in Fig. 2. The other end of this plate or strap is provided with an elongated slot or notch e, as seen best in Fig. l.

F is a sleeve sleeved upon the post O and formed with the two horizontal plates or arms fandf', as seen bestin Fig.\2, which embrace the doubletree upon the upper and underside, and a single bolt G serves to secure the doubletree thereto, as will be seen from Fig. 2, the bolt being provided witha nut g, as shown. Seated upon the upper end of this sleeve is a Washer H, and the hammer-strap has a portion which is designed to come down over this washer and the upper end of the post and sleeve and cover the same and exclude dust and dirt. This is seen best in Fig. 2, in which I is the annular depending ange on the end of the hammer-strap J, the whole being held against separation by the vertical bolt K, which passes down through the cap or ange I and through the post C, also continuing through the pole B, carrying upon its lower end a nut k, as seen in Fig. 2.

The rear end of the hammerstrap is of novel construction. This is best seen in Fig. 3, in which it will be seen that this end of the said hammer-strap terminates in a substantially horizontal portion L,having the inclined side flanges t and the rectangular opening M,

while the space beneath the top of this portion L is formed with a shoulder N, so that -the under side is' upon two different planes.

TOO

`the hammer-strap or the strap O, thevhalnmer-strap being intended only to hold these parts firmly down to the wood of the tongue or pole and adjust itself upon the same, ac.v cording tothe varying bends of the poles with which the coupling may be employed. For instance, should the pole have considerable bend the hammer-strap would slip forward on the rear end of the top plate and the slot orrecess in the end of the same would permit of the bolt passing through it and allow of the necessary movement or adjustment of the parts relatively to each other.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an improved coupling which can be easily applied, readily adjusted, and yet durable and eiicient for the purposes for which it is intended.

`What is claimed as new isl. In a vehicle-coupling, the combination with a tongue and a doubletree, of a plate with a hollow post, a sleeve upon said post having upper and lower horizontal arms to embrace the doubletree, and a hammer-strap having one end attached to the said post and its other end to the tongue, as set forth.

2. The combination with-a'strap'vvith hollow post rising therefrom, of a sleeve upon I ment` to the tongue, and the coupling connection between said plate and the tree, of a hammer-strap, and means for adj ustably connecting the strap to the tongue' independent of Said plate.

4. The combination with the strap and its hollow post, and the sleeve upon the post with ydoubletree-embracing arms, of the hammer- `strap having a portionvwith opening and a strap with a slot to receive the securing-bolt, as and for the purpose specified;

In testimony whereof I affix my signature lin presence of two witnesses.

WASHINGTON I. WOLVERTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY L. SEAMAN, FRANK C. SMITH. 

